Hicksville council adopts water, refuse and sewer rate changes; approves pension appropriation and AEP easement

Hicksville Village Council on Nov. 18 approved final readings of ordinances adjusting the village’s water, refuse and sewer rates and took emergency action on pension appropriations, council records show.

Solicitor Rachel Hammersmith read the ordinances by caption; Councilmember Eric Bassett moved to approve the water-rate ordinance (Ordinance 2024-20), and the motion carried unanimously. Similar final readings for the refuse (Ordinance 2024-21) and sewer (Ordinance 2024-22) rate ordinances were also approved without recorded opposition.

Council later suspended the rules to advance Ordinance 2024-26, an amendment to OP&F pension appropriations described in the reading as an emergency measure. The ordinance passed on second and final reading with four votes in favor and one opposed: Eric Bassett, Toni Egly, Charlie Martin and Kent Miller voted yes; Ron Beverly voted no. Council members had previously approved motions to suspend the rules to consider the measure immediately.

Council also approved Resolution 2024-23, authorizing an easement to AEP Electric at the Splashpad site; the suspension of rules and the resolution passed unanimously. Solicitor Hammersmith conducted readings of the items by caption per the meeting transcript.

The measures were handled by motion and voice vote during the Nov. 18 session; the record lists the motions and that they carried as described. The council did not provide additional funding detail or public testimony on the rate changes during the meeting. The council adjourned at 7:20 p.m.